Reclining seat construction



May 17, 1955 G- J. LINDROTH 2,708,474

RECLINING SEAT CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 8, 1950 2 sneaks-sheet 1 IN VEN TOR: E'EHALD- J Lmmzu TH.

May 17, 1955 G. J. LINDROTH RECLINING SEAT CONSTRUCTION .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 8, 1950 j. INVENTOR: GERALD .l LINDRDTH.

Unite States Patent This invention relates to furniture, more particularly to seats of the reclining types.

An object of this invention is to provide a reclining chair or davenport frame which requires a small number of simple parts, allows seat and back adjustment, and

is adaptable to be fitted with various springs, pads and upholstery.

Another object of this invention is to provide a reclining frame which may be upholstered to provide the appearance of the various forms of davenports, lounge chairs and the like, yet retains an unusually smooth, easy shift to comfort positions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a trombone slide seat frame, easily adjusted and easily maintained in a desired adjustment.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cooperating back frame construction which will automatically follow positioning movements of the seat.

And another object of this invention is to provide a frame having all the advantages of the trombone slide construction without sacrificing appearance, comfort upholstery and means for incorporating or cooperating with additional comfort or utility accouterments.

Other objects and advantages of this invention relating to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction, to combinations of parts and to economies of manufacture, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a chair frame embodying the invention herein;

Fig. 2 is a view on the line IIII, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail of one form of seat slide construction;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a modi fied form for the seat slide;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of frame construction which is particularly adaptable for knock-down shipping;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a frame embodying features of the invention, which frame is fabricated from tubular stock;

Fig. 7 is a view on the line XX, Fig. 2.

While the chair is the primary object of this invention, its construction lends itself to the addition of or cooperation with accessories to increase its utility. Examples thereof are hereinafter described.

A preferred form of construction embodies front legs and rear legs 22 mounting base frame 24 which in turn may support sides or arm rests 26.

A horizontal plate 28 extends across and reinforces the rear of the base frame 24. This plate mounts bearing providing brackets 30. Bars or rods 32 are pivotally connected to these brackets by suitable pins 34 and these 2,7@8,474 Fatented May 1 7, 1955 slides extend therefrom in an upwardly canted direction toward the front of the chair.

The bars 32 may be of various materials and design as, for example, a cylindrical rod, solid or tubular. Wood rounds 36 may be employed being selected from furniture stock which has the desired qualities, such as maple. Or a small diameter rod 38 may be employed which carries bushings 40 desirably of oil or graphite impregnated wood.

Each pivotally mounted member serves as one element of a trombone slide construction, the other element comprising a tubular extension or sleeve 42 telescopically shrouding or encasing the bars. The two reaches 42 are connected by portion 44 forming a U-shaped seat frame. This frame may be fabricated from a pair of metallic tubes connected by a wooden plate or additional tubing or for economy and simplicity, may comprise a single length, of tubing bent to form.

The seat frame'42, 44, 42, carries a seat construction 46 selectively upholstered. The outer or forward portion of the seat construction is supported by having the portions 42 slidably carried in seats 48 of vertically disposed plate 50 mounted on the base 24 and serving as an additional reinforcement therefor.

By this construction, a trombone slide mounted seat may be easily shifted forwardly or rearwardly between the arms 26 within its limits.

The chair back is automatically adjusted therewith. To this end, the slides 42 carry bearing providing plate parts 52 fixed adjacent the rear of the seat. An inverted upwardly extending U-shaped back frame has the outer terminal of each leg 54 pivotally connected to a fitting 52 remotely from cross-connecting portion 56. This back frame may be straight or arched as shown in Fig. 2 to provide the proper base for a pre-designed upholstered back rest or cushion 58.

intermediate the length of the legs 54 slide-way providing fittings 60 are attached to define guides 62. These guides are preferably lined on their supporting or wear receiving sides, by brass or bronze plates 64. Rod 66 extending between brackets 68, one within each arm construction 26, passes through the guide-Ways 62. This provides a support for the back and allows a limited adjustment thereof as following the seat. The seat and back are hingedly connected and the design of the seat and back will accord the better comfort relationship regardless of the seat position relative to the chair base.

A modified form of the chair is illustrated in Fig. 5 which more readily lends itself to shipment in knockdown form. The two side units 26 may be set up by bolting rear plate 70 thereto to extend therebetween adjacent the rear legs 22 and a front connecting and min forcing unit 72 may be attached between the front legs 20.

The plate 70 mounts bearing providing blocks 74 for the pins 34 which pivotally attach the parts 32 to the chair base. The seat mounting unit 42, 44, 42, is slidably carried thereon and the supporting seats 48 are provided by plate 76 mounted on the front frame unit 72. The back frame piece 54, 56, 54, is hingedly attached to the slides 42 by clips 78 which embrace the slides and mount pins 80 extending through the legs 54.

A desirable back supporting slide mechanism for this form of chair is provided by fixing sleeves 82 on the legs 54, which sleeves embody slide-ways 84 for receiving pins 86 extending from brackets 88, one of such brackets being included in each arm construction.

The invention is readily adaptable for use in the all tubular type of chair frame. As shown in Fig. 6, one or more lengths of tubing may be formed into a base. This would include the slide supports 32 from which the tube could be upwardly curved into arm extensions 90 with continuing portions 92 downwardly extending to floor engaging or base portion 94. A front connection 96 is attached by clips 98 between the portions 92. The connection 96 serves as a base unit reinforcing piece and also has its terminals 1% inwardly bent to serve as the seats 48 for the seat unit 42, 44, 42. Wing-pieces 192 can be welded to the slides 42 for the pivotal attachment of the legs 54 thereto, and brackets 194 can also be welded to the arms 90 to serve as the back support, This provides a most economical construction adaptable to the modern motifs.

The tubular frame construction for the various parts lends itself to substantial yet economical upholstering. For example, the seat or back may have the opposing legs connected by a series of spaced bands 116, which are a part of or may mount a spring construction 118 to be covered by the cushioning upholstery 58 (Fig. 10).

It is to be understood that the above detailed description of the present invention is intended to disclose an embodiment thereof to those skilled in the art, but that the invention is not to be construed as limited in its application to the details of construction and arrange ment of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. The language used in the specification relating to the operation and function of the elements of the invention is employed for purposes of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the following claims beyond the requirements of the prior art.

What is claimed and is desired to secure by United States Letters Patent:

1. In a seating unit of furniture, a base having a rear and front portion, a pair of cylindrical bars, each having one end thereof pivotally attached to said rear portion and extending toward the front portion, a seat frame including a pair of sleeves for telescopically engaging said slides, and a seat mounted on said frarne.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1 including a slide support for the sleeves adjacent the front portion of said base.

3. In a seating structure, a base, a pair of bearings mounted on said base adjacent its rear, a pair of slides each having one end mounted in the bearings and said slides extening outwardly therefrom toward the front of said base, a U-shaped member having tubular legs telescopically embracing said slides, and a seat mounted on said U-shaped member.

4. The structure set forth in claim 3 wherein a slide for the Ushaped member is mounted by said base to support said member remotely from the bearings.

5. A seating unit embodying a base, a pair of cylindrical slides, each slide having one of its terminals pivotally attached to one end of said base and extending upwardly toward the opposite end thereof, a U-shaped frame having its legs telescopically engaging said slides, a support for said frame adjacent said opposite end, and a seat on said frame laterally shiftable over said base.

6. A chair embodying a base including upwardly extending opposing arm rest providing extensions, a pair of slides pivotally attached to the rear of said base permitting vertical swinging thereof, a U-shaped seat frame having its opposing legs telescopically engaging said slides, a slide support for said seat frame spaced from the rear of said base, a seat on said frame, a back frame including a pair of legs swingably attached to said seat frame legs and extending upwardly therefrom, a back rest mounted on said back frame and means mounted by an arm extension to slidably engage and support said back frame.

7. The structure set forth in claim 6 wherein the back frame is a U-shaped element.

8. The structure set forth in claim 6 wherein said back frame support comprises an extension from said arm rest engaging a slide provided by a bracket carried on said back frame.

9. The structure set forth in claim 6 wherein said back frame comprises a U-shaped element having a slide-way providing bracket mounted on an intermediate extent of the length of each leg, and a fixed extension from each arm rest into said brackets.

10. A chair frame embodying a pair of U-shaped elements, the terminals of the legs of one of said elements hingedly attached to the legs of the other element adjacent the terminals thereof, a base, a pair of slides each having one of its terminals pivotally mounted on said base and telescopically engaging one of the legs of one of said U-shaped elements, an extension from said base, and a slide connection between said extension and the other of said U-shaped elements.

11. A chair frame embodying a U-shaped seat frame, a U-shaped back frame hingedly attached to said seat frame, a base, a telescopic mounting for said seat frame on said base, an arm rest providing an extension from said base, and a slide connection between said extension and said back frame.

12. A seating furniture unit comprising a base, a bracket mounted by said base adjacent the rear thereof, a seat longitudinally shiftable over the base, and a connection therebetween including the bracket mounted on said base, together with a pair of elements one telescop c within the other, one of said elements comprising a cylindrical bar, one end thereof pivotally attached to said bracket to permit swing thereof vertically toward and from the base, and the other element comprising a tube telescopically slidable on said bar, said tube mounting the seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 505,409 Morrell Sept. 19, i893 2,269,832 Soper 2. Jan. 13,1942 2,235,112 Dorton June 2,1942 2,528,505 Fitzpatrick Nov. 7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,605 Great Britain Dec. 18,1913 79,321 Sweden July 19, 1932 805,970 France Apr. 7,1902 

